The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Purchasing a home is one of the most important investments there is. More than a place to live, homeownership is an asset with the potential to tremendously rise in value. But with home prices reaching record heights, affordability plays a huge role for buyers. The typical home value in the United States was $358,761 in November, 2.3% higher than the year before. High mortgage rates are also making monthly payments more expensive; as of December 19, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate sits at...
Every now and then, a new song releases and dominates radio airwaves, Spotify playlists, and, of course, the esteemed Billboard Hot 100 chart—and in terms of those types of hits, 2024 has been pretty impressive. Morgan Wallen and Post Malone's collaboration "I Had Some Help" became the first major hit of the year. It spent six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and was named the official song of the summer. The single was succeeded by another country-pop track, Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," w...
The world has witnessed a boom among ultra-wealthy people since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but cracking the top 1% of earners in the U.S. has become less attainable than ever. Knight Frank's 2024 Wealth Report shows that the wealthiest 1% of individuals in the U.S. are each worth at least $5.8 million. Meanwhile, Federal Reserve economic data shows that, in 2022, the wealthiest households joined the ranks of the 1% with a minimum of $11.2 million. That's down slightly from 2019 when adjusted...
If you've hunted for apartments recently and felt like all the rents were equally high, you're not alone: Many landlords now use a single company's software—which uses an algorithm based on proprietary lease information—to help set rent prices, The Markup reports. Federal prosecutors say the practice amounts to "an unlawful information-sharing scheme," and some lawmakers throughout California are moving to curb it. San Diego's city council president is the latest to do so, proposing a ban tha...
It was a July afternoon in 2011 when a car bomb exploded just a few blocks from Robert Ullmann's office. Because it was the summer, only two employees from Kanvas, his nonprofit that manages 64 child care programs around Norway, were at their desks on the third floor of a narrow, nondescript building in central Oslo. Although the floor-to-ceiling glass windows shattered when the bomb exploded at 3:25 p.m., both members of his team were unhurt. When I arrived at Ullmann's office a few months ago...
The real estate frenzy spurred by the coronavirus pandemic continues, though at a slower pace. Buyers are still competing for a limited supply of housing, driving up prices for affordable properties. The typical home value in the United States was $358,761 in November, 2.3% higher than the year before. Increasing mortgage rates have slowed growth, with prices even declining in some places. But some areas are still seeing price jumps compared to the year before. Stacker compiled a list of cities...
The real estate frenzy spurred by the coronavirus pandemic continues, though at a slower pace. Buyers are still competing for a limited supply of housing, driving up prices for affordable properties. The typical home value in the United States was $358,761 in November, 2.3% higher than the year before. Increasing mortgage rates have slowed growth, with prices even declining in some places. But some areas are still seeing price jumps compared to the year before. Stacker compiled a list of cities...
The real estate frenzy spurred by the coronavirus pandemic continues, though at a slower pace. Buyers are still competing for a limited supply of housing, driving up prices for affordable properties. The typical home value in the United States was $358,761 in November, 2.3% higher than the year before. Increasing mortgage rates have slowed growth, with prices even declining in some places. But some areas are still seeing price jumps compared to the year before. Stacker compiled a list of cities...
The real estate frenzy spurred by the coronavirus pandemic continues, though at a slower pace. Buyers are still competing for a limited supply of housing, driving up prices for affordable properties. The typical home value in the United States was $358,761 in November, 2.3% higher than the year before. Increasing mortgage rates have slowed growth, with prices even declining in some places. But some areas are still seeing price jumps compared to the year before. Stacker compiled a list of cities...
The real estate frenzy spurred by the coronavirus pandemic continues, though at a slower pace. Buyers are still competing for a limited supply of housing, driving up prices for affordable properties. The typical home value in the United States was $358,761 in November, 2.3% higher than the year before. Increasing mortgage rates have slowed growth, with prices even declining in some places. But some areas are still seeing price jumps compared to the year before. Stacker compiled a list of cities...
While it may not seem obvious at first, the obesity epidemic and economics have a direct connection to each other, especially when it comes to spending categories like healthcare, food, and fitness. One study places annual healthcare costs related to obesity at $173 billion. But the rise of weight loss medications could shift these economic trends. The use of semaglutide as treatment for obesity has skyrocketed over the last five years, which could mean major changes in how people spend and...
Think you can pull over and park in a bus lane to grab your morning latte? Think again—at least in cities using computer vision technology to catch and fine drivers who block bus lanes. As cities across the U.S. invest in new bus lane infrastructure to speed up travel times and prevent delays, drivers continue to flout the red (or green) paint, Next City reports. One 2023 study from Philadelphia's SEPTA recorded 36,000 violations during a 70-day pilot on two bus lines, with half of all bus s...
When immigration agents raided chicken processing plants in central Mississippi in 2019, they arrested nearly 700 undocumented workers—many of them parents of children enrolled in local schools. Teens got frantic texts to leave class and find their younger siblings. Unfamiliar faces whose names weren't on the pick-up list showed up to take children home. School staff scrambled to make sure no child went home to an empty house, while the owner of a local gym threw together a temporary shelter for...
There's a lot to consider when deciding where to apply to college. Tuition costs, financial aid offerings, and student loans are high on the list, but so are questions about campus culture and free speech policies. The Hechinger Report created a whole suite of tools with brand-new data that can answer your questions and help you research what life might be like at thousands of colleges and universities across the country. Here is what these tools do and how they can help you. - Tuition Tracker s...
Math education leaders have long said children should not be labeled "bad at math," even if they struggle mightily with the subject. Such a classification is racist, sexist, classist, inaccurate, and—worst of all, they say—lasting. Many Americans who absorbed such messages in their youth continue to define themselves this way decades later, The 74 reports. And they pass along those insecurities to their children, as if math competency is an innate trait and not a learned skill. This sort of old-...
In 2016, ads for a new car-sharing service called Gig Car Share began popping up. The service allowed users to pick up a car with an app or a physical card, drive it anywhere within a designated "home zone," and leave it at a streetside parking spot, Next City notes. The idea was that this type of free-flow car-sharing could complement public transit, bike-share, and ride-hailing, ultimately helping reduce car ownership. Over the next few years, Gig expanded its home zone, launched in two more...
Throughout his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump has made big promises on issues of enormous consequence to Americans, from the economy to reproductive health care—but offered few details on how he would see those promises through. What he's said in his campaign and what he did during his first term offer some clues, as does Project 2025, the blueprint for a second Trump term written by the conservative Heritage Foundation. Though Trump has distanced himself from Project 2025, saying he h...
A direct lending program providing financial relief after a natural disaster could be eliminated if President-elect Donald Trump follows the recommendations of the conservative Project 2025 playbook, The Daily Yonder reports. Eliminating loans provided through the Small Business Administration, or SBA, would be particularly harmful to rural communities that are disproportionately affected by natural hazards, according to one economic expert. "Rural communities are more exposed to natural...
The glitz and glam of Hollywood captures the attention of Americans starting from an early age. Beyond celebrities' Instagram Stories and red carpet poses, there are actors out there paying their dues and honing their craft in pursuit of a sustainable career or a fulfilling sideline. Submitting to casting calls is a big part of that journey. Whether you're a working actor or an aspiring one, you might be curious to know which movies and TV shows are casting roles near you. Backstage compiled a...
'Tis the season again, and New Year's resolutions are back in full force. Even though the motivation for change and new goals are sky-high toward the end of a year, particularly in December, most New Year's resolutions don't last long—Way.com shares details What's the Story Behind New Year's Resolutions? There is no historical story that confirms itself as the only reason why New Year's resolutions exist. However, there are a few standout stories that have been passed down over the years and m...
Women's business ownership is a driving force in the American economy, creating millions of jobs and generating trillions in revenue. Beyond impressive numbers, women entrepreneurs bring unique perspectives and solutions to the table, addressing gaps in industries ranging from technology to education to health care. Yet these entrepreneurs face the same challenges as any other—especially when it comes to finding the money to start and grow a business. Grant funding can be an important r...
As America's population ages and some state populations are expected to decline, demographic shifts may profoundly reshape the country's colleges and universities. Academics have long worried about the enrollment cliff, a multiyear decline in traditional college-aged students following an anticipated peak in 2025. Although the total number of undergraduate students at America's universities rose steadily from approximately 7.3 million in 1970 to around 18 million in 2010, enrollment has...
Thanks to a rather lukewarm live music season in 2024, the music fest and concert scene is ready to come back to life in 2025. What does the year hold in store, and will 2025 be the comeback year for live music? Way.com looks at what went wrong in 2024 and why it could go right in 2025. 2024 is apparently the year the music (festival) died. Why? Think cancellations, and not just here in the U.S., but worldwide. South California's Desert Daze, Virginia's Blue Ridge Rock Festival, and the latest...
Just as inflation can drive up costs, macroeconomic shifts, layoffs, or industry downturns can lead to declines in household income, potentially posing challenges to families affording housing, groceries, and other necessities. For some, a dollar doesn't stretch as far when income drops faster than expenses increase. According to the latest Census Bureau data, household income changes can vary widely across cities, and while some cities see incomes outpace inflation, others may experience sharp...
Inflation regularly increases the prices of goods, services, and resources, making the cost of living less affordable with a dollar that does not keep up with that growth. The Bureau of Labor Statistics clocked the 12-month inflation rate from the end of 2022 to the end of 2023 at 3.35%. Meanwhile, household income estimates shifted a median of 4.22%, but swung as much as multiples above or below that—depending on the city—offsetting or exacerbating the impacts of price changes. With this in...
